Senator RHIANNON: Thank you. I would like to move on to Indonesia. The web page for the Australia-Indonesia education partnership notes $524 million in funding for this program is under revision following consultation with partners. What is the status of these consultations and will funding for this program be reduced?

Mr Cox: Could you repeat the name of the program that you are referring to?

Lee asks Mr Exell from the Development Policy Division in the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade to clarify the budget allocation for the Global Polio Eradication Initiative for the current financial year and also 2016-17.

Senator RHIANNON: I want to move on to issues to do with the Global Poverty Project. Can you confirm that at least $15 million will be allocated to the Global Polio Eradication Initiative for 2015-16?

Lee interrogates representatives from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade on Australia's expenditure of aid money to Syrian refugees, Palestinian refugees in Syria, and NGOs working in Gaza following the 2014 Israeli military operations in Gaza and the West Bank.

Lee asks the Deputy Secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade to give details on project management training which DFAT staff are required to complete prior to managing large aid projects.

Lee probes the Deputy Secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade on project assessments undertaken by the department and whether Australia's funding for multilateral agencies is linked to these assessments.

The Greens believe that Australia, as a wealthy nation, has a responsibility to contribute our ‘fair share’ to poverty alleviation in less developed countries and devote 0.7 per cent of Gross National Income to overseas aid.

Australia’s spending on aid should also be transparent and accountable and aid projects should not be harmful for local communities or the environment. The key purpose driving the Australian aid program should be alleviating poverty.